Bowfields

WHAT

Homestead with contemporary solutions

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WHERE

Mudgee

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WHEN

1800s

The gravel driveway that leads to “Bowfield” 20 kilometres south-east of Mudgee, sweeps through an avenue of she-oak trees and arrives before a cottage fringed with ornamental grapevines. The house is a marriage of restored vernacular, heritage buildings with contemporary structures that focus on environmental solutions. Careful and considerate design has ensured that new additions complement the stone and lime mortar walls of the old parts of the house, some of which date back to the late nineteenth century.

 

Perfectly situated in an idyllic location in the centre of an amphitheatre of low hills, the house overlooks a large and picturesque dam. Surrounding the house is a wonderful garden.

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Honey-coloured walls using rocks excavated during the levelling of the site greet the visitor upon arrival. Prostrate rosemary softens the walls and helps create a welcoming entry to a garden full of surprises and unusual plants, the result of meticulous planning to allow for relief from the western sun and to provide cooling for the house.